Elevation!

Last night we arrived in the beautiful sleepy town of Rawlins, Wyoming. Our hotel seems to be quite busy as Rawlins seems to be a fairly common stop on the way to Salt Lake City or Denver, depending on whether you are heading east or west. While the hotel seems to be crowded, the town itself has little to offer.

Yesterday was a really good day. We didn't have a terribly far drive, the views were beautiful and I seemed to be more relaxed than a few days back. The previous two days had been a little tough on me. I am use to having a very structured schedule...eating, sleeping, etc. all in an order. I also tend to have kind of a sensitive stomach about too much rich food. Eventually it makes me feel as if I just need to go on a multi-day fast, which leads to feeling even worse. Since we have been changing time zones and eating out EVERY meal, my body was starting to scream at me.

In other news, Belle and Levi have been doing great as far as the car riding. We do think that Belle had a trip or twist of her paw as she is now limping and favoring her paw. She isn't whining, but we are concerned about it and want to make sure she is okay. I had to help her drink since she is having trouble standing/sitting at the water bowl. She has had a similar limp in the past and seems to quickly get over it. If things don't improve by tomorrow, we may have her checked out in Salt Lake City. I am not against stopping for an extra day somewhere either. It might be nice to get a day off of travel.

Anywho... gotta get moving. Time for repacking and reloading AGAIN will be right around the corner.

The picture below was taken in the Rockies. We got to see Big Horn Sheep scale the side of mountain yesterday. It was amazing!

Quick update on our adventure

Brian at the Natural Bridge in Alabama


We arrived yesterday evening in my hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. It is always so nice to come home. There is a familiarity that comes along with hometowns that you can't get anywhere else... being in the house where you lived before you left home, passing the church you grew up in, going to your parents business, seeing all the sights of home.

Over the next few days, Brian and I will try to cram in as much Tupelo family time as possible before our journey continues. Mom is having a big Thanksgiving meal and family will be coming in to visit. I can already taste the Turkey and Dressin' (that is stuffing for you northerners). I also spoke to my granny on the phone earlier who assured me that she is bringing a cheesecake just for me. Yummy!

So now for a quick moment in my head...
I am such a lucky girl. Things have been going so well so far with our travels to Seattle. I worried about my ancient Honda which has been more than fine. I worried about that cats which are completely content. I worried about the miles and the weariness and the boredom that comes along with driving 3600 miles across country which has been fun, exciting and an unexpected delight. All in all, being a homeless, traveling nomad with Brian by my side has been great fun. We are both really enjoying the trip and taking time along the way to experience the sights and sounds of each new place.

Stay tuned as our adventure continues.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. ((HUGS))

Our Adventure has Begun!

Yesterday we left our home in Jacksonville, FL. As we made our way through the downtown area I got fairly emotional as we hit I-10 and I could see the Jax skyline in the rearview mirror. As I started to cry I kept reminding myself that we will be back. Brian promised me that we could come back to Jax even just to visit, and he is always good on his promises to me.

Surprisingly enough, the thing that was gripping me with anxiety was my fear of how the cats would react to the move and traveling. Cats are extremely temperamental. It is said that once you cross a threshold of tolerance with them, their personalities can change and the damage can never be undone. Well, I am pleased to say that Belle and Levi are the same cute, sweet and cuddly little kitties that they have always been. They stayed closed in their carrier together for eight hours. Levi was very vocal in the beginning of the trip, but about an hour later they were quiet and content the rest of the way. This morning they have been enjoying sitting in the window and napping wherever they find an interesting place.

Last night after we arrived and dropped the cats and luggage off at the hotel here in Atlanta, we headed over to see Beth, August and Sawyer. Beth made the best meal you could have imagined after the long days drive... Homemade Lasagna, an AMAZING salad, and paired it with some Florida wine. Sawyer was already sitting at the table when we arrived. Our nephew is no longer a baby. He is a little boy who has changed so much just since Labor Day.

Okay... So I gotta go. Our time here with Beth, August and Sawyer is short and we don't know when we will see them again.

DAY 1 of traveling was a huge success. Stay tuned. :)

Today is a New Day

Today was the start of something brand new, a big change in my life. It was the first day I didn't have to go in to a job I have been committed to for years. Saying goodbye to the people who have helped me grow and given me so many wonderful experiences and opportunities was almost as hard as saying goodbye to my own family when I left them to come to Jax. While I am still excited to learn and advance in my career field, I am all the more dedicated to stepping up to my role as a military spouse and supporting my husband's career.

In a few days Brian will return from deployment, and within a few weeks we will be moving away from our home here in Jacksonville. We are extremely delighted about his orders to Whidbey Island, WA, just north of Seattle, and we are looking forward to our new life in the Pacific Northwest.

I have not blogged in quite some time, but want to do my best to share my new life with my friends and family.

Below are a few pictures of the area where we are moving. Please, stay tuned for our amazing journey.

Day 1:
Breakfast in bed
Lunch with Elly
Picked up beautiful flowers sent to me
Shopped a little
VOTED!
Applied for a new Life Insurance Policy

Not a bad first day. :)

Reenlistment

Since July, Brian has been putting in for reenlistment. He loves the USN and has wanted to continue with his navy career. Seeing as how my options were letting him do what makes him happy or unemployment, it wasn't a hard decision for me to be on board with his hopes to continue.

After many rejections and about a month of me starting to get really anxious and nervous, we were happy to hear that his reenlistment is approved. YAY!

Now the next very exciting step of the process continues, we get to find out WHERE he will continue his service. Since we love to travel, the thought of life carrying us to another place is very appealing. We can't wait to find out where our next home will be. It could be to stay here, but we hope a new place to explore will be available.

Feels Like Home

So, the most handsome man on earth walked right back into my life tonight. That's how things are sometimes... here today, gone tomorrow. This is the navy life. That being said, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Tonight I felt giddy approaching the gate to see him for the first time in a week. I mean, yes we are still newlyweds, but it was more than that. I felt like a sixteen year old girl who could see her guy in the distance ... my guy just happened to be wearing camo and standing in front of a guided missile destroyer. Ok, so it was a little different than being sixteen.

After we ate our dinner onboard, I had to leave him there on the ship. Even though I had to come home alone tonight, it is no big deal. He will be home tomorrow, and we will have a nice weekend together. And the best part about his returning is that I will not take one moment of him being home for granted.

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1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Ladies Night

Recipe for a great ladies night:

Ingredients:

1 Hot Blonde
1 Spunky Redhead
1 Sassy Shorty
1 Hilarious New Yorker
1 Southern Belle

Start with a quick warm up, two miles around the block.
Next fill up on snacks, prepare dinner and dig in.
Follow this with Skinnygirl cocktails.
Top it off with Dancing until 1 am to Kinect's Just Dance 3.
Allow breaks for rehydration with the beverage of your choice.

Last night we had an great night. Good friends, food and we got a workout.

Dancing in my Apron!

Last night Jenny hosted Ladies Night and this was the appetizer platter I took. I got the recipes from Bethenny Frankel's "Skinnygirl" Diet Tips page. The platter includes Crab Salad & Chicken Salad in Endive Leaves, Antipasto Salad (store bought from The Fresh Market), English Cucumbers with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, and a little Italian Parsley for garnish.

PROMENADE - My life's dance

I read not long ago, "In life people trip. Most people fall. Some people turn that trip into a beautiful, beautiful dance.” - John Mayer

In the past five years, I feel like I have been on an amazing roller coaster. Some of these past years were full of heartache while others were better than I could have ever dreamed. Sometimes I wish I could have chronicled every moment, but some of the corners of my heart were full of things I never want to revisit, and ultimately life is not a blame game. Feelings can be hard enough to handle even without putting them out there in print.

I know we are a few weeks into 2012, but I have just decided to create this new blog. My last blog "Anchors Aweigh" was mostly about my life as a soon-to-be US Navy spouse going through my fiance's first deployment.

I got really slack about posting anything after Brian returned from deployment, we were planning our wedding after all. I guess now that I AM a navy wife, I wanted to change up my blog and make it a variety of the things more than focus on just the navy spouse part of my life. After all, I have so many other things that make me.. me! :)

As many of you know, I love to cook and I love wine! I also enjoy spending time with my sweet circle of friends, courtesy of the US Navy. I have recently also joined a small close-knit group of ladies who encourage each other to live a more healthy lifestyle. The group isn't just about dieting and exercise, it is more about overall health. We are all in it together and they encourage me everyday. I also have become obsessed with traveling. Each time we return from one of our adventures, it seems I have just unpacked my suitcase before I start planning the next place we will be exploring.

I plan on posting about all of these things here on my new blog "Promenade".